Disposable garment shield



Oct. 17, 1967 J. H. MORRIS DISPOSABLE GARMENT SHIELD Filed Oct. 12, 1965 v IN VEN TOR.

Jo SEPH/NE H. M02215 BY 027 /a AGENT United States Patent O Calif.

Filed Oct. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 495,052 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A garment disposal shield is disclosed herein which provides a flexible backing member for supporting a pliable pad of moisture absorbent material. A continuous edge marginal region is provided about and surrounds the material on which is carried a pressure sensitive adhesive so that the backing member may be readily secured to the skin of a user immediately beneath the users armpit. An irregular fold line is provided across the backing member so that as the shield is folded, selected quantities of shield material are forcibly directed into the deepest portion in the armpit to occupy any spaces or gaps.

This invention relates to disposable garment shields and more particularly to a disposable garment shield adapted to be applied directly to critical skin areas of a person for the prevention of body moisture from coming into contact with the garment.

Disposable dress shields have been employed in the past which have been fabricated from such materials as fabric or paper which are folded to straddle the underarm seam of a garment and which are detachably secured to portions of the garment in an effort to protect the garment from stains and other damage caused by body moisture. In some instances pressure sensitive adhesive has been employed to detachably secure the shield to the garment.

However, problems have been encountered with such prior devices and shields which stem largely from the fact that such shields are bulky and uncomfortable to the user as well as requiring modifications to the garment so that such shield can be suitably anchored thereon. In the case of pressure sensitive adhesive, the tackiness of the adhesive sometimes causes damage to the portion of the garment to which it is attached since the shield must be parted from the garment by pulling or tearing. Furthermore, by anchoring conventional shields to a garment such as a dress, the shield is disposed relatively remote from the critical skin area of the user so that considerable gap exists between the shield and the skin area of the user most likely to generate moisture.

The problems and difficulties encountered with the use of conventional disposable dress shields are obviated by the present invention which comprises a woven fabric or pad layer carried on a perforated backing having a preformed fold line provided thereon so that the shield folds along the fold line when'the arm of the user is lowered. Pressure sensitive adhesive carried by the backing layer about the periphery of the pad layer is employed so that the shield can be anchored directly to the skin of the user in the critical skin area most likely to generate moisture. Since the shield is applied to the skin of the user, no gap or space exists between the shield and the critical area of the skin and the shield is in constant contact at all times during use.

Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a disposable garment shield which is readily securable to the skin or a user in the critical skin surface area most likely to generate moisture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel disposable dress shield which is detachably secured to the critical skin area of a user having a preformed fold line or crease strategically located thereon to accommodate movement of the users extremities.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel disposable dress shield which includes a moisture absorbing pad carried by a thin sheet of plastic backing having a plurality of perforations or apertures provided therein adapted to facilitate absorption of moisture and the evaporation thereof when the shield is anchored directly to the skin of the user.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel disposable dress shield having a pair of elliptically shaped sections integrally joined together at a crease or fold line whereby the shape of the shield conforms to the critical skin area of a user so as to locate a greater area on the user as compared to a lesser amount of moisture absorbent material located in another skin area of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel disposable dress shield which may be detachably anchored to a critical moisture producing skin area of a user by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive circumferentially disposed about the peripheral edge of a moisture absorbent pad.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel disposable garment shield which may be readily employed with garments of the sleeveless type or with garments having sleeves so that the under-arm portions of the garment are protected from stain damage caused by body moisture.

Features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the novel disposable garment shield of the present invention showing the shield as employed in a typical application in connection with a garment having sleeves;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the garment shield illustrated in FIGURE 1 as applied to a critical skin surface of a user showing the shield folded about its fold line;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the dress shield;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the dress shield illustrated in FIGURE 3 taken in the direction of arrows 44;'

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of still another modification of a dress shield employed with sleeveless dresses; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged front elevational view of the dress shield illustrated in FIGURE 5 and having a portion thereof broken away to expose the moisture absorbent material beneath the backing therefor.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, a person 10 is illustrated having the novel disposable garment shield in' accordance with the present invention as indicated by shield 11 anchored to the skin of the user in a location normally susceptible to the generation of moisture such as the armpit. The shield 11 is shown in one form to comprise, in general, a flexible circular backing layer, strip or sheet 12 on Which is suitably carried a resilient moisture absorbent pad 13 which is anchored in intimate contact with the users skin by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive 14 which is carried about the periphery of the backing 12 about the pad 13. The backing 12 and the pad 13 are preferably made from readily disposable material. The material used may be generically referred to as paper, the term being used generically, to include paper-like material, such as thin sheets of synthetic resin (plastic) and also thin sheets of unwoven or woven fabric which are paper-like in many respects.

The backing member 12 may be of a non-moisture absorbent material which is preferably flesh colored and the adhesive 14 carried thereon may be any suitable tacky substance which will readily anchor the shield in place and is readily removed from the skin of the user without causing irritation, pain or other uncomfortable aspects.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES l and 2, pad 13 of moisture absorbent material may be carried on the backing 12 by any suitable means such as a portion of the adhesive 14 or the pad may merely be held in place on the backing by other suitable securing means such as stitching, for example. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the shield 11 includes a preformed scoring or fold line 15 which permits the shield to be folded along an axis which is intentionally placed off-center from the central axis of the circularly shaped shield. By this means, a feature of the present invention is achieved which effectively divides the shield into a section. 16 which is of greater size and area and has more moisture absorbing ability than a section 17 which provides a substantially reduced area of absorbent material. Such an arrangement provides for the application of the shield directly to the area of the armpit whereby the section 16 may be anchored to an area of skin more readily susceptible to generate moisture while the section 17 is employed on the extreme upper inside skin surface of the arm. Furthermore, the fold line 15 permits the users arm to be raised and lowered as well as other body move-,

ments without encountering any uncomfortable feeling due to the presence. of the shield. Therefore, in effect, the disposable shield of the present invention once applied, actually becomes a part of the user. The folding line 15 may take the form of a crease across the backing member 12 or the fold line may take the form of a sewn stitch or a score line formed in the backing 12.

With reference to, FIGURES 3 and 4, a modified version of the novel disposable dress shield of the present invention is shown as indicated by numeral 19 wherein the sections 16 and 17 are formed with separate and individual elliptical shapes so as to more readily become form fitting to the critical skin locations of the user. Furthermore, the backing 12 is provided with a plurality of perforations 18 which communicates with the porous pad 13 so that moisture accumulated by the pad may more readily evaporate and ventilate therethrough. FIG- URE/4 illustrates the pad 13 as being of fibrous material wherein the perforations in the backing 12 communicate with passages, such as passage 18', formed in the pad. The illustration in FIGURE 4 is greatly exaggerated and it is to be understood that any desired number of perforations, apertures and passageways may be readily accommodated. The adhesive 14 is employed to hold the pad 13 to one surface of the backing 12 in such a manner that exposed adhesive is provided about the edge marginal region of the backing 12 around the pad 13.

Referring now to FIGURES and 6, another modification of the dress shield of the present invention is shown in the direction of arrow 23 which may be suitably employed for use in connection with sleeveless garments. The shield, in this instance, is an elongated shape having a solid, flexible backing strip 20 of thin plastic flesh colored material and a suitable moisture absorbing pad 21 secured toone side of the backing in such a manner that the edge marginal region on one surface of the backing completely encircles the pad 21. A fold line 22 is provided which is of irregular contour which proximates a single sine curve lobe as shown so that the shield when anchored to the user by the pressure sensitive means carried on the edge marginal region will more precisely accommodate folding when the arm of the user is moved.

fter the disposabledress shield of the present invention has been used, the shield may be readily removed 'by pulling the shield so that the shield separates from the skin of the user after which the shield may be discarded. The adhesive contemplated for use in the present inven tion may be similar to the type employed in such apparatus as adhesive tape, adhesive bandages and the like.

Therefore, it can be seen that the device of the present invention provides a novel dress shield of the disposable type which is anchored in intimate contact to critical skin surface areas in such a fashion that the skin area beneath the shield may readily breathe and be ventilated while at the same time the moisture absorbent pad of the invention prevents moisture from damaging and staining the garment material.

While particular embodiments of the present inven tion have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A disposable garment shield adapted to be releasably secured to the armpit skin of a wearer comprising:

an elongated backing strip of rectangular shape formed from a relatively thin plastic-like material having an elongated rectangular central portion. disposed on one surface of said strip so as to define a continuous edge marginal region between said central portion and the edge of said strip extending about the periphery of said strip;

a moisture absorbent pad conforming in configuration to the configuration of said central portion secured to said strip central portion and being adapted to make surface contact with the skin of the user;

pressure sensitive adhesive carried by the surface of said backing edge marginal region about said pad; and

said strip having a pre-formed fold line of irregular contour provided in said strip which extends between the opposite edges of said strip across the width thereof andacross said central portion, said fold line proximating a single sine curve lobe, the irregularity of said fold line being adapted to substantially figuide and direct the gathering of said strip material deep into the wearers armpit so that the gathering thereof will substantially occupy and fill any gaps immediately adjacent the furthermost depth of the armpit.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fold line subdivides said backing into a pair of integrally joined sections and wherein said backing includes a plurality of perforations communicating with said pad to effect ventilation and evaporation therefor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,765,725 6/1930, Imbach 253 2,337,807 12/1943 Flocks 253 2,669,720 2/ 1954 Vandekerck 255 2,685,086 8/1954 Henry 255 2,818,572 1/1958 Oliver 255 3,019,443 2/1962 Rose 255 3,156,924 11/1965 Wonacott 2-53 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,609 11/ 1914 Switzerland.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPOSABLE GARMENT SHIELD ADAPTED TO BE RELEASABLY SECURED TO THE ARMPIT SKIN OF A WEARER COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED BACKING STRIP OF RECTANGULAR SHAPE FORMED FROM A RELATIVELY THIN PLASTIC-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING AN ELONGATED RECTANGULAR CENTRAL PORTION DISPOSED ON ONE SURFACE OF SAID STRIP SO AS TO DEFINE A CONTINUOUS EDGE MARGINAL REGION BETWEEN SAID CENTRAL PORTION AND THE EDGE OF SAID STRIP EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID STRIP; A MOISTURE ABSORBENT PAD CONFORMING IN CONFIGURATION TO THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION SECURED TO SAID STRIP CENTRAL PORTION AND BEING ADAPTED TO MAKE SURFACE CONTACT WITH THE SKIN OF THE USER; PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE CARRIED BY THE SURFACE OF SAID BACKING EDGE MARGINAL REGION ABOUT SAID PAD; AND 